Five years ago, Joanna and I bought a rundown roadside motel in the Pocono Mountains.
We lived there for a year while renovating it ourselves. Every room, every wall, every detail.
When we finally opened The Rex Hotel, it worked.
Today the property does around $500,000 per year in revenue with just ten rooms.
But recently I spent a night there and walked the property the next morning (this is covered in this weeks YouTube video!).
And something hit me.
Nothing was wrong.
But a lot of small things were starting to drift.
A loose door handle.
A pathway that had shifted.
A hot tub that technically worked but looked tired.
Ice jamming the gutters.
None of these things individually mattered.
But together?
They’re exactly how great hospitality slowly becomes average.
The Hospitality Rule Most Owners Ignore
In hospitality, quality doesn’t decline all at once.
It declines a millimeter at a time.
Eventually guests don’t say:
“This place is terrible.”
They say something worse:
“It was fine.”
That’s the moment when you’ve lost the magic. It’s when people stop caring or expecting it to be a great experience. Repeat business vanishes and your 5 star and word of mouth advocates of years past disappear…
The key? Don’t let the small things slide as they will quickly compound and lead to a slow death.
Why We’re Reinvesting (Even Though We Don’t Have To)
The Rex is profitable.
We could easily leave it exactly as it is.
Many operators would.
But hospitality isn’t about maintaining a building.
It’s about creating an experience people don’t have at home.
So instead of coasting, we’re reinvesting.
We’re converting an old pole barn into a lodge and spa.
- Communal lounge space
- Couples massages
- Wellness services
- Indoor/outdoor gathering areas
Not because the hotel needs it.
Because the experience demands it.
The goal isn’t just:
The Rex Hotel
The goal is:
The Rex Hotel & Spa
What This Means for Glampgrounds
Even though this story is about a boutique hotel, the lesson applies directly to campgrounds.
In fact, glampgrounds feel this even more.
Outdoor environments are brutal on infrastructure.
Decks age.
Hot tubs wear out.
Paths shift.
Weather breaks things.
If you’re not improving your property, you’re quietly falling behind.
The best operators follow a simple rule:
Every year, the property must get better.
That might mean:
- • New amenities
- • Better site layouts
- • Upgraded hot tubs
- • Improved bathhouses
- • Better lighting and pathways
- • Expanded communal spaces
Guests may not notice each upgrade individually.
But they absolutely notice the feeling of a place that keeps improving.
When we bought The Rex, we were thinking about the next few years.
Now I’m thinking about something different:
What should this place look like in 50 years?
That’s how great hospitality brands are built.
And it’s the same philosophy we’re applying to Ferncrest as we grow the brand.
If you want to see this mindset in action, be sure to watch our newly dropped YouTube video. I promise you, it’s great!
Until next time… Happy Glamping!
Brian
